First weekend of gigs - mixed results!

What's Hot
newi123newi123 Frets: 850
edited June 2021 in Live
So this weekend was the first back for us and a real contrast:

Friday night - indoor live music venue. Still socially distanced, seated audience and limited numbers. In house PA with sound guy - great fun, a few mistakes but a room full of friends to catch up with. 

https://imgur.com/gallery/A9YSBWF

Sat night - outdoor for a pub by the river playing in a Marquee. We`d played there before and previously there was a small raised stage, but it was the dustiest gig ever. Speaker grills off the PA to deep clean kind of stuff! 

This time turned up, Marquee still full of tables my band mates had to clear and no stage or matting! Literally expected to set up in the dirt, not even level for a drum kit. Grass in the marquee had worn away, so really was dry dusty, loose mud - apart from where their huge aircon unit had leaked, so the bass player had a damp patch to use.

When I asked if they had a ground sheet / old carpet the waitress came over and suggested that we use pizza boxes to build a stage to play on. When I showed up I said it was not acceptable, and we wouldn`t play.

This is only the 2nd gig I have cancelled in about 30 years of doing this. The first was when our drummer fell off his CBR600 and was having his leg pinned.

As a band we pride ourselves on being professional (although this is a hobby for all of us), on time, respectful, accommodating etc, etc, But there was simply no way I was rocking up with £10k of band equipment and being asked to play in the dirt. Hopefully the venue makes some improvements for the next bands.

https://imgur.com/a/hqVc5hZ





0reaction image LOL 6reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • markslade07markslade07 Frets: 833
    Wow! That second one doesn’t look great at all! How do they expect bands to play there? As a local, I’d be interested to know where it was…PM me if you’d prefer
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • maltingsaudiomaltingsaudio Frets: 3098
    Right call on the second gig
    www.maltingsaudio.co.uk
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16256
    Fair do. Not even a tarpaulin. 

    Some venues seem to be utterly clueless, not had a patch of dirt to play on but many times in pubs being directed toward a corner barely big enough for a table for two let alone a five piece band. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Vintage-TVintage-T Frets: 405
    How difficult would it be to screw some pallets together and run some old carpet over it. Wham! Bam! stage for you.

    If any venue was serious about hosting bands, even that small effort should be made.

    Totally the right call.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Vintage-T said:
    How difficult would it be to screw some pallets together and run some old carpet over it. Wham! Bam! stage for you.
    Not very; however, with an uneven floor it sounds like a great way to twist an ankle or worse.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    We have learned over the years that to a certain extent you have to be prepared yourself. In our van we have a couple of large tarps, gazebo tent for FOH position,  loads of cable ties, carpet tiles, bits of wood to even out the floor where the PA speaker stacks go. Then we have a load of decent quality 13 amp 50M reels, a copper rod for grounding, UPS  and various other bits and pieces that make playing outside a better and safer experience. I can appreciate though if you turn up for an outside gig in cars you're unlikely to have the room or inclination to carry all this stuff. 

    I think the worse position I ever played in was literally in the gutter, right by the kerb, Titchfield carnival in 2016. We had to set up on the road and there was a load of dog shit my side. 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    1reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969 said:
    We have learned over the years that to a certain extent you have to be prepared yourself. In our van we have a couple of large tarps, gazebo tent for FOH position,  loads of cable ties, carpet tiles, bits of wood to even out the floor where the PA speaker stacks go. Then we have a load of decent quality 13 amp 50M reels, a copper rod for grounding, UPS  and various other bits and pieces that make playing outside a better and safer experience. I can appreciate though if you turn up for an outside gig in cars you're unlikely to have the room or inclination to carry all this stuff. 

    I think the worse position I ever played in was literally in the gutter, right by the kerb, Titchfield carnival in 2016. We had to set up on the road and there was a load of dog shit my side. 
    @Danny1969 , it looks like that there's a great how-to guide waiting to be written here.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.